552 Proceedings. 



2. "On the Storage of Energy by utilizing Water Power," by J. C. 

 Crawford. 



ABSTKACT. 



He called attention to the splendid water supply in the neighbourhood of Wellington 

 — the best, perhaps, in the Colony — for the generation of electricity for lighting the towns 

 and manufacturing purposes. 



3. Dr. Hector gave some interesting information relative to recent tidal disturbances. 

 He expressed his opinion that the disturbance in Wellington harbour and along the coast 

 of New Zealand yesterday morning had been caused by the volcanic eruption which took 

 place at Krakatoa, in the Straits of Sunda, on Monday last, telegraphic intelligence of 

 which appeared in last evening's paper. In the course of his remarks, Dr. Hector men- 

 tioned that the Straits of Sunda had always been remarkable for the eruptions which 

 occurred there, and tradition assigned their formation and separation of the Islands of Java 

 and Sumatra to a violent convulsion during the eleventh century. One eruption in the 

 year 1772 swallowed up a tract of country fifteen miles long and six broad, and destroyed 

 about 3,000 people. This was followed in 1815 by a violent disturbance which resulted 

 in the loss of 7,000 lives, and the noise of which was heard 1,000 miles away ; it would be 

 interesting to trace the length of time occupied by the wave in reaching the shores of New 

 Zealand. 



4. " Lecture on the Lower Miocene Formation in New Zealand," by Dr. 

 Hector. 



ABSTKACT. 



An interesting geological lecture, illustrated by large maps and sections and large 

 collections of fossils, and dealing with the subject of the date of the last great emergence 

 of the land in the south of New Zealand. 



Mr McKay said that if the glaciers had their greatest extension in Pliocene times it 

 appeared that, considering the amount of strata of intermediate age, it was difficult to 

 regard the Awamoa beds as belonging to the Upper Miocene period. The percentage of 

 recent fossils indicated these beds as belonging to the Lower Miocene period, and thus the 

 palaeontological evidence was in accordance with the stratigraphical. 



Mr. Travers referred to the important bearing of this subject on the origin of the 

 fauna and flora of the country. 



5. Dr. Hector exhibited several additions to the Museum, viz., skull of frigate bird, 

 gannet, jaw of parrot fish, from Jervois Island, presented by Mr. H. Winkehnann ; also, 

 marine fossils from interior lake basins of Otago. 



Seventh Meeting. 26th September, 1883. 

 The Hon. Gr. E. Johnson, President, in the chair. 

 New Members. — Dr. Sidney Skerman, C. C. Howard. 



1. " On a new Lycopodium," by T. Kirk, F.L.S., named Gracile, and 

 found in Nelson. (Transactions, p. 376.) 



2. " On a Bird-catching Tree," by Mr. E. H. Govett. (Transactions, 

 p. 364.) 



Dr. Hector conjectured that the viscid matter exuded from the seeds when ripe was 

 an iucident of evolution, the seed attaching itself to a live bird, and so getting carried 

 away and dropped elsewhere for germination. 



